Means for breaking rock and other hard minerals



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Feb. 7, 1933. E. LAFAYETTE I MEANS FOR BREAKING ROCK AND OTHER HARD MINERALS Filed April 18. 1932 Patented Feb. 7, 1933 UNITED STATES EDWARD LAFAYETTE, OIE -PITTS'IBURG, KANSAS;

MEANS FOR BREAKING ROCK A an name Application filed April 18,

My invention relates to improvementsin means for breaking rock and other hard minerals, and it consists in the combinatlons, constructions, and arrangements herein described and claimed.

An object of my invention is to provide a means for breaking rock and other hard minerals.

Another object of my invention is to provide means whereby the mineral in a vein or lode may be loosened after a suitable hole has been drilled in the lode.

A further object is to provide a shear-like construction consisting of twopivoted members, the lower ends of which are adapted to be placed in a suitable hole in the mineral and the upper end of'which is adapted to be spread apart by a ack or any other suitable tion breaks or loosens the mineral so that it may be readily removed from itslode or vein.

Other objects and advantages will appear in the following specification, and the novel features of the invention will be particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

My invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing, forming part of this ap plication, in which:

Figure 1 is a front elevational view of a device embodying my invention, in which the opening position is shown in dotted outline,

Figure 2 is a side elevational view of the same,

Figure 3 is a top plan view, and V Figure 4 is a section taken along the line H of Figure 2. V

In carrying out my invention I make use of two elongated breaker bars, 1 and 2, respectively.

The upper end of each of these bars is provided with an outwardly offset arm portion 3. The arm portions 3 are oppositely positioned with respect to each other and are adapted for receiving the opposite ends of a hydraulic jack or other suitable mechanism whereby the arms may be spread apart from each other under pressure. The inner faces 4 of the arms 3 may be provided with a recessed portion 5 for receiving the opposite end of the jack or other mechanism not spread apart.

1932. Serial No. 606,030.

shown. The recessed-portion t-maybesemicircular in shape or any other form adapted to provide an adequate engagement or abutment means where'by the j ackor-"othermechanism maybe prevented from slipping :out

of engagement with the arms -as they are Each of 1 the bars '1 J and 2 are preferably provided with a detachably secured spring 6 for returning the breaker bars totheir-closed position after the jack has been removed.

The spring 6 may be operatively secured; by any suitable hook mean's such" as, for insta'nee, the threaded -ibolt; and

construction? j l Below the arms 3 each'of the'breakerbars consists of an integral elongated downward ly extending shaft or rod portion 8 means; the spreading apart of the upper pormay be either semi-circularor-{angular in cross-sectional area. Each of'thearms '3 is provided with a transversely extending bore 9 for operatively receiving a -piv'otipin or shaft 10. The outer-portionsof"the "bore 9 face of the shaft portio'ns'i8.

From the foregoing desc'rlption of the vaoperation may be readily understood.

length andcross sectional areato receive the The body of" rock or 'mineral to be 'broken is drilledwithone or morehol'es of sufficient rious'parts ofthedevice of my invention, its

shaft portions 8 of the breaker when "the breaker is in the jclosedposition. "fThe arm portions 3 extend above. theopening andmiay incline downwardly and inwardly as is indicated at 11, in order 'to lprevent the breaker from falling into ah ole of greater depth than v the length of the shaft p rti ns' S. A *j a ck or other mechanism'is then placed between the arms. 3 and the arms 3- are gradually forced apart,as is-indicated in the dotted line posi tion shown in Figure 1. The coal or mineral surrounding the shafts 8 is thereby split apart or broken, thus accomplishing the purpose of my invention. I

The provision of the shafts 8 of semi-circular form in cross section with plane contacting faces is of advantage in that as the shafts sive.

are moved on the pivot 10 by the jack, the edges of the shafts enter the surrounding mineral while'the curved surfaces'exert component forces in substantially opposite directions and approximately at right angles to the planeof movement of said shafts, whereby a splitting action is obtained.

It is obvious-that each of the breakerarms must be made of a strong rigid metalsuch as, I i i i for instance, steel.

By drilling a plurality of holes in a vein or body of rock or other mineral and using the breaker mechanism in each of these holes,

the entire body may be split or broken apart without the use of any explosives which are I in some conditions, extremely dangerous to use. v

My method of breaking up a mineral body vvor vein is safe,convenient, economical, and

it has the. advantage of eliminating the delays incidental to the use of explosives such as, for instance, the delay incurred by waiting for the smoke to dissipate,and the delays incurred in waiting when the fuse or other ignition: 1

explode the charge of explo means, fails to A mineral breaker. comprising a pair of jshafts,;each having a plane surface and a surface semi-circular 1n cross sectlon meeting.

in a longitudinal edge, said shafts being pivoted together intermediate the ends thereof with said plane surfaces in contact, spaced angular arms extending from corresponding ends of saidshafts for receiving mechanism forswinging said shafts on said pivotto force said longitudinal edge of each shaft into the walls of an opening in which said shafts have been inserted whereby said curved surfaces exert wedgingvactions in opposite directions and substantially normal to the plane of said plane surfaces. f v

2. A mineral breaker comprising a pair of shafts each having a ,planesurfaceiand' a wedging surface terminating in a longitudinal edge, saidshafts being pivoted together intermediate the ends thereof with said plane surfaces in ocontact, each shaft having coop crating extending arms at one end for receiving means for moving said shafts "pivotally i for forcingsaid longitudinal edges into the oeof' walls of an openin'g in the material in which said shafts have been inserted for causing said wedging. surfaces" to exert component forces in opposite directions substantially normal to the plane of, said plane surfaces .to

split said material. 1 EDWARD 

